Setsuna was not like the other guardians. She was never reborn on Earth. She did not grow-up with earthly parents. She was granted a short respite in her duty at the space-time door in order to stop the Messiah of Silence from awakening. Afterwards, she had been allowed to stay in order to raise Hotaru. Setsuna's entire life on Earth had revolved around Hotaru: teaching her, protecting her, making sure she had the loving family she had been denied the first time around. Setsuna had never before known it was possible to love someone as much as she loved her adopted daughter. All she wanted in the world was for Hotaru to be safe and happy, yet she had failed. Hotaru was gone, lost somewhere in the Space-Time continuum, out of reach.
For months they searched. Only to be told that it was all for naught. Hotaru was gone. They would never get her back. What's more, she died possessed. Her soul was in danger. Pluto may not have been quick enough to save her life, but she would save her soul.
Pluto nodded and opened up a pathway to the Space-Time door. She stood for a moment, staring at the large, ornate door. This was the place she had stood as both warden and prisoner for so long. This was the place she was destined to return to.
Pluto closed her eyes and focused on where she needed to go. She felt the winds of time swirl around her, and she opened the door to 1493. Then using all of the strength she could muster, Pluto opened a path to the Underworld.
Centuries had passed since Pluto walked in the realm of the dead. She had been given the responsibility to guard the Space-Time door because her father had been Chronos, but had she followed in her mother's footsteps instead, this would have been her dominion.
The underworld was endless, with thousands of levels and hundreds of gods and guardians. If Hotaru was an ordinary human, Pluto could search for millenia and never find her. However, Hotaru was not an ordinary human. Even in death her energy blazed like the planet she protected, creating a clear path for Pluto to follow.
The trail led Pluto to the depths of Tartarus. A claw of dread clutched her heart. This was a realm for demons and monsters, it was not the place for a twelve-year-old child.
When Pluto finally found Hotaru's soul it was frayed and raw, too weak to maintain a corporeal form or even appear as a sphere. She was little more than a scattered mist of raw emotion, hiding in terror.
"Oh, Hotaru…" Pluto whispered. She knelt down and tried to coax Hotaru towards her. "Come to me. I'm here to get you out of this place. "
The misty remnants of a soul shied away. Sorrow threatened to overtake Pluto. Am I too late once again? Does she even remember her human life? Or is she too far gone?
"Hotaru, it's me, Pluto, Setsuna-mama. Try to remember. I know it's hard, but you must remember who you are, who I am."
There was a moment of hesitation, but slowly Hotaru moved towards Pluto. Pluto gathered the frail, little soul to her chest. It was quivering. Pluto could feel Hotaru's suffering as if it were her own.
"It's going to be okay now. I've got you. You're safe now."
The soul nestled into Pluto's bosom, the same way Hotaru used to when she was a baby, searching for the comfort and reassurance of her mother's heartbeat. Once Hotaru could hear Pluto's heartbeat, there was an overwhelming feeling of safety and relief. Underneath all the pain and fear, there was still an incredible amount of love and trust which radiated from the broken soul. Even here, even like this, Hotaru's light still managed to shine through.
Pluto stood and turned to leave. She found herself face to face with a woman she hadn't seen in eons. Standing calmly amongst the flames and decay of Tartarus was the wife of Chonos, one of the many guardians of the Underworld, Pluto's mother, Kore.
"Hello, Proserpina." Kore said.
"No one has called me by that name in thousands of years." Pluto replied, coldly.
"I suppose not. You've been Sailor Pluto for so long, I'm surprised you even remember the name I gave you."
"Why was Hotaru's soul here?" Pluto had no patiences for the woman who allowed her to be condemned to an eternity at the Space-Time door at only eight-years-old. "You control where souls end up, you must have recognized hers. Why did you send her here?"
"She was possessed." Kore replied. "Her soul was intertwined with that of a demon when it crossed the river. I had no control over her fate."
"I find that hard to believe." Pluto replied. Hotaru's soul was reacting to Kore's voice. There were sparks of recognition; trepidation mixed with a sense of duty and somber acceptance. "Were you the one who pulled her back in time?"
"No. The backlash from channeling Saturn's energy into your talisman would have sent the child hurtling into the space-time continuum regardless of what anyone did. We simply directed her to a point where her power was needed."
"Did you know this would happen when you interfered?" Pluto demanded. Her mother held her gaze with steady, remorseless eyes.
"We explained everything to her. She knew how this would end. She had every opportunity to return home. She chose to remain and face her fate."
"You sent her to her death."
"I sent her to her destiny."
"She was a child!" Pluto said. "She was my child."
"Which is why I knew she would accept her duty with grace. Just as you always have." replied Kore. "Be proud of the daughter you raised. She was very brave."
Pluto couldn't take anymore. She walked away from Kore.
"I know what it's like to lose a daughter to her destiny, Proserpina."
Pluto didn't look back as she left Tartarus, returning to the endless void of the entrance to the underworld. With a safe distance between them and the fires of Hell, Pluto rested. She held tight to Hotaru's soul, which was growing slightly stronger in the security of Pluto's arms.
"I should have gotten to you sooner." Pluto whispered. "I should have been able to protect you. I'm so sorry, Hotaru."
Hotaru's pure emotional energy replied. Pluto could feel a mix of sorrow and comfort. There was no bitterness, no blame. Relief overshadowed fear. There was a longing to see Haruka and Michiru once more, the love Hotaru felt for all three of them was so intense it hurt. There was also solace in Pluto's embrace and a strong desire to remain in Pluto's arms forever.
"I can't stay with you." Pluto said.
As painful as the words were for Pluto to say, Hotaru's reaction to it was worse. Grief cut through Pluto like a knife. Fear and panic, a feeling of abandonment and loneliness. Hotaru understood why Pluto had to leave, but the pain of that knowledge was unbearable. Tears fell down Pluto's cheeks.
"If it were within my power, I would give my life for yours in a heartbeat. I would tear time apart to bring you home."
Pluto's own love and pain reflected back from Hotaru's soul. She could barely handle it. She couldn't drag this out any longer. It was time for both of them to face what was next.
"I'm going to bring you to Elysium, to the Isles of the Blessed. You'll find peace there. No one will ever be able to hurt you again."
Suddenly Hotaru's soul became very agitated. She had unfinished business. She protested against Pluto. She needed to speak to someone before she moved on.
"You're not strong enough." Pluto told her.
As weak as she was, Hotaru started putting up a fight. She quickly became frantic. Pluto felt a powerful bond between souls, the intensity was overwhelming. This was more than a desire, Hotaru needed closure. She would never be able to rest without it. Pluto couldn't deny her daughter this final request.
"Alright. You won't have much time. Minutes, if not less. I'll lend you as much of my power as I can."